I was on a tight budget too when I started looking into mining. Eventually, I decided to take the risk on a few refurbished units I found via https://ezblockchain.net/hardware/. They offer tested and cleaned equipment, and what stood out was the detailed diagnostics they provide before shipping. It gave me peace of mind knowing I wasn’t just buying someone else’s problem. Most of the machines I got have been running solid for almost a year now. Sure, there’s a slight decrease in hash rate compared to new models, but the ROI still made sense in my case.